Monday, September 11, 2006

NFL Week 1 Wrap:Manning Bowl? T.O. Bowl? Ugh.

Manning vs. Manning: Ugh. Can't we just focus on the fact that the Colts beat the Giants? Sure, the siblings combined for more than 500 yards passing, but I'd say it was more the "Adam V. Bowl," where the Colts' new kicker had 4 field goals and laid the foundation for the kicking confidence that will take them to the Super Bowl. (I promise I'll stop beating this prediction to death.)

Jags Top T.O.: Oh, wait, were they playing an entire Cowboys team? I'm sure T.O. will find a reason to blame everyone except himself for the Cowboys losing his opener with the team. If "everyone" means "Drew Bledsoe."

Meanwhile, my new favorite team made me proud with a huge win at home. With the defending champs on deck next week on MNF, this is huge mo, though they lost DE Hayward for the season.

Now, on to the day's other big NFL storylines:

Reggie Bush's very solid debut: Reggie Bush can put together nearly 150 yards of rushing, receiving and returning EVERY weekend, he's going to be great. (But where are the TDs?! In a fantasy-driven world, TDs are the true measure of greatness.) Meanwhile, you have to feel good for the Saints winning their season-opener.

(Losing side: Mario Williams was WAY too quiet in comparison to Reggie Bush to keep fans from griping.)

The Pats are in some trouble if they're barely surviving against the Bills at home.

(Losing side: Is there a FireJauron.com yet? Frankly, nearly beating the Pats had to have been a best-case scenario for Bills fans. Right up until that safety.)

OK, who replaced the old Ravens with the most impressive Week 1 team in the NFL? 28 points AND a shutout? Uh, how good does the NFC North look right now, between the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals?

(Losing side: Chris Simms ain't the answer. Can you feel the mojo for Bruce Gradkowski?)

Arizona: Home Cooking! Who would have thought the best game of the day would be the barn-burner in the desert between the Cards and 49ers?

Mangini wins debut: Congrats to Jets coach Eric Mangini who earned a gritty one on the road, letting the Titans get back into it but riding Pennington's 300 yards (who saw THAT coming?) to the W.

(Losing side: How cool was it to see Vince Young see some game action? He brings an added dimension to the offense, but more than anything, you could feel the energy level rise -- through the TV, no less.)

The Bengals are going to be very good. Without TJ Housh, and they still put 23 on the Chiefs. Apparently, KC's once-great offense has atrophied under Herm Edwards, and its defense hasn't gotten better enough.

Rams beat Broncos: I don't know about you, but Denver's loss, combined with Jake Plummer's zero-TD, 3-INT game, makes me think that it's time for the Jay Cutler Era to begin in Denver.

(Losing side: For a team with more than 300 yards of total offense, the Rams had little to show for it... unless you were a fantasy owner with Jeff Wilkins. The new Neil Rackers!)

Fantasy note: I'm in a Yahoo league, and I have to say that Yahoo's GameChannel/StatTracker application is pretty cool. On the fantasy "StatTracker" side, they'll let you see not only how your lineup is doing, but how your bench is doing – all in real-time, of course – along with how your "optimal lineup" would be doing... if you were smart enough to have started it. It's very clean and easy to use, and has made my myopic fantasy-tracking throughout the day a lot easier – and, frankly, more fun.

Monday Night Football x 2: Let's see: The Redskins had about 15 yards of total offense in four preseason games AND they'll be playing without Clinton Portis (or, at least, without him being much of a factor). The Vikings' defense looks much-improved, and the offense was what was SUPPOSED to be improved in the offseason. I'll take the Minnesota Double-Sided Dildos to win on the road. In the second game, I predict a huge debut for Philip Rivers: You'd have one too if you got to throw to LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates. Chargers over Raiders.

28 comments:

hende
said...

Fresh start, new year, and the Browns get the Saints at home. Wide-eyed with the promise of "upward movement" (I'll wait another year or two for respectibility), I settle into the recliner to watch kickoff. Opening kick, 20 yd return, and the offense trots out. 1st play, play-action, Frye fires deep to a wide open Braylon Edwards who trots in for a 74 yd touchdown. A Pavlovian response forces me to look at the top of the screen, and there it is, the little yellow box that shows a flag was thrown. Holding on Coleman (now listed as holding on Shaffer). Next plays gain 0, -1, and -8 yards respectively, and they punt. It's great to have football back.

Man, I'm with you...Primetime is a HUGE loss, like that firast morning you don't get your paper after the dogs put down...the paper's out there, you can go get it, the stories are the same, but everything's just different and some how, not as good.Now, don't you think the Colts need a running game (on both sides of the ball...6 yards a carry on D?!) before you give Vinatieri his ticket to Miami?

I don't know what the Manning bowl proved, that the Colts have slipped without Edge, or that the Giants are serious Super Bowl contenders. And that Offensive Interference call near the end was a joke.

Being forced to watch the COwboys game, Drew looked really bad, especially in the second half. This could be a long season for the Boys (and it makes me smile with pride...)

I was suprised by the Baltimore result until I watched the highlights. Then when I saw the Chris Simms' interceptions being caught and returned I started having flashbacks to games against OU and CU. I turned to my girlfriend and said, "wow that looks familiar".

Primetime being gone sucks, well you know what it sucks. The NBC highlight show is a joke, done poorly and I can't stand Collinsworth. The NBC show has too much talking going on and not enough football. I want Primetime back and I want it back now.

Leave it to the Jets to screw up their chances at getting Brady Quinn. And now that the Titans have shown how pathetic they are, Young should be starting at QB and Lendale should be active and getting a lot of carries.

NBC sucks. Did we really need to see the Manning parents every 2 minutes?

I'll be interested to see the Eagles when they play someone other than the Texans. McNabb looks like he could have a monster year with Stallworth, Brown, Smith and Westbrook.

The Bucs should serve as proof that we DO need a 4 game preseason and you need to play your starters more. It is all about developing chemistry, which is impossible when you are too afraid to play your starters to avoid a Portis situation... but injuries happen all the time (Look at Bucs 1st Rounder Davin Joseph, hurt in practice). So rather than risk hurting your players in a "meaningless game", you make it worse by not getting game speed for your team.... the result? 27-0 loss. At home.

NFL halftime shows are so terrible. NBC talks about tennis during halftime??!! Ridiculous. Nevermind that Marino et al. are just awful analysts. Sharpe is still employed...incredible.The new host on the FOX crew talks too much. They need more Howie Long there.

So yes, I miss Primetime, but only for Tom Jackson. Berman, frankly, needs to be sent to cover sports in Siberia. But Jackson is great.

1. "Can't we just focus on the fact that the Colts beat the Giants?" I liked the fact that Peyton actually said just that in his post-game interview.

2. I know the Panthers didn't look too hot yesterday, but you can't forget that Steve Smith wasn't playing. He makes a HUGE difference in the effectiveness of their offense.

3. Tom Brady with a fumble (returned for a TD) and 1 INT?! And he had fewer yards than JP Losman?! That makes me smile. Too bad the Bills suck so bad that the Pats still managed to win in spite of their QB.

The Ravens look like a completely different team than last year. And it isnt all McNair. Last year they didnt seem to give a crap, but yesterday it looked like 2000 all over again. Some of the hits they put on the Bucs made me cringe just watching. Just keep up the passion all season.

Couple things. I'm a pats fan. They looked terrible in the first half. I think it was more a case of them believing all the analysis leading up to the game that they would steam roll the Bills. You can't look past teams in this league or you will get beaten. I think the Pats learned a lesson yesterday and that will not happen again. How good did Lawrence Maroney look?

On to the Manning Bowl. Very entertaining game to watch. And I mean the game on the field. I didn't need to see 60 closeups of Archie watching the game, or the Mannings home videos, or the commercial with Archie, Peyton and Eli checking to pancakes 137 times during the game. But it was a good game on the field and that offensive pass interference call was exactly that...offensive. I guess the NFL isn't ready for Eli to takeover as golden boy just yet.

And David Ortiz should still be the AL MVP, though he won't win it.

Last thing, D.S. i tried installing a blogroll and adding you, but after I added the link to your page, when I tried to come back I was redirected to a porn site. so, I deleted the blogroll. Sorry, I tried. I'm new at this. lol

The biggest loss of the season for NFL watchers is definitely ESPN's NFL Primetime. That NBC Football Night In America, or whatever it was called, was aweful. Four dudes sitting in lazy chairs, sitting infront of video screens with nothing of value to say (Bettis & Sharpe). All the reporters reporting from the parking garage... big thumbs down to NBC on the poor effort.

R.I.P. Primetime. Can someone explain what a highlight show had to do with the new TV deal? I know the NFL has a ton of clout, but to force a network partner to drop perhaps its most watched show? Incredible...

Chris Simms is living off his dad's last name. I had to remind myself it wasn't 5 years ago and the opponent wasn't Oklahoma yesterday. I think Jon Gruden is showing that he may be an overrated coach. His offense has sputtered ever since the Super Bowl season.

4. Glad to hear that Trent Green is going to be OK. However, the league should not fine Geathers for that hit. Geathers dove at Green BEFORE the slide.

I have to disagree. This is the type of hit that the NFL has tried to stop for a long time. The QB is down when he begins his slide, not when he is touched. Geathers went in helmet first aiming for Green's helmet. Geathers was not pushed by Kennison either. It was a dirty play by him and as such he should be suspended for this potentially devastating play.

I wish I had TiVo at work so I could look at the replay again. Wheather or not the league fines Geathers is not as important as Trent Green's health, which is suppoedly OK. When I saw the hit it didn't seem to be a dirty hit. Although, if I were Green I'd stay off the field until Edwards learns how to coach and the new O-line learns how to block.

I just consider a play to be dirty when you lead with your helmet. I played enough football in college and HS to know that a person does that when he wants to hurt you and very rarely at any other time. I agree that Green's health is the most important thing and you are right that the line needs to block so Green doesn't run. I don't think I could remember Green running three time in all the years with Vermeil as coach and yet he did that in one game under Edwards.

How about those Eagles? I know it's only a win against the lowly Texans, but McNabb looked really sharp, Westbrook ran like a Gazelle, Buckhalter ran people over, the defensive line played great and Stallworth was a beast.

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DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.